Game apparatus.



R. F. DOWNEY.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.28,1908.

Patented July 12,1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J/f f- R. F. DOWNEY. GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1908.

Patented July 12, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@WMAM T "I A R. P. DOWNEY. GAME APPARATUS. APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 23,1908.

Patented July 12, 1910.

3 8HEETS-SHEET 3.

STATES PATENT OFFlCE.

Itrcnarm r. DOWNEY, or MILWAUKEE, wIsoo'NsIN, AssIeNoa r'o aurom'arroBOWLING ALLEY COMPANY, or M LWAUKEE, wIscoNsIN.

GAME APPARATUS.

Original application filed November 14, 1905, Serial No. 287,253.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 12, I910.

Divided and this application filed September 23, 1908. Serial No.454,471.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD F. DoWNEY, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Milwaukee,- in the county of Milwaukee and State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in GameApparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof.

My invention, herein particularly set forth with reference to theaccompanylng drawings and pointed out in claims, was originallydisclosed in my application Serial No. 287,253, filed November 14, 1905,of which this application is a division; and said invention has especialreference to structural detail of bowling-alley apparatus designed foruse in places of public resort where space is limited and extra helpundesirable.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents a side elevation of my improved gameapparatus partly broken away and in section, the view being indicated bylines 1-1'in the next in numerical order of the several illustrations;

' Fig. 2, a plan view of the apparatus partly in horizontal section;Fig. 3, a transverse section view of said apparatus on the linesindicated by 33 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a partly sectional side elevation ofa portion of the aforesaid apparatus, and Fig. 5, a transverse sectionalview indicated by line 55 in A Fig. 4..

Referring by letter to "the drawings, A indicates the sides, B, C, theends and D, E, F, top-sections of a box-like casing, said sides beingoffset at the rear and upwardly extended. At the rear of the casing, itsupwardly extended end C, upward side extensions A and an overhang Acombine to constitute a hood.

The top-section D of'the casing is shown as being preferably inclinedupward toward the rear, and it constitutes the roll-Way ofthegame-apparatus. The top-sections E, F, are at different elevationsbelow the rear end of the roll-way and serve respectively-as a pin-standand bottom of a ball-pit.

Between the pin-stand and ball-pit and the upward extensions of theoffset rear ends of the casing-sides are the rear open ends of a pair ofball-returns G that have pitch toward the front of the apparatus, one ofthe ball-returns being made to have unction casing, as is clearlyillustrated in Fig. 2

Side gutters G are provided adjacent to the top section of the casing.

The pin-stand E and the bottom of the ball-pit are both inclined fromthe center downward toward the open ends of the ballret-urns and anyball stopped in its flight on said stand or in said pit will, bygravity, find its way into one or the other of said returns.

- Secured at one end in the overhang of the hood is a bowed shield ofcanvas or other pliable material having its lower end fastened on thebottom of the ball-pit, and this shield is attached by flexible strapsb, intermediate of its ends to the rear end C of the casing. Byfastening the shield to the back of the hood as aforesaid, an inclinedplane is provided between said back and the pit, the balls stopped bythe curtain having descent on said plane to said pit; Hung in the hood,forward of the shield H, is a swing curtain I, also of canvas or othersuitable material. The curtain serves as a yielding buffer for ballsthat have sufiicient impetus to reach the same, and-these balls fallonto the bottom of the it aforesaid, there being a yield of said shieldto the balls striking the same. The curtain and shield aforesaid serveas noiseless fenders for the balls.

Pins J, bulbous at their lower ends, have their support on the stand Eaforesaid, and when in vertical position, the lower bulbportion 0 ofeach is below the rear end of the aforesaid roll-way, the appearancefrom the front being that of an ordinary bowlingin in standing position.Attached to the ower bulbous end of each pin, central of the same, is aflexible hanger d for a weight K, by which said pin is held in standingposition.

Loose on stay-rods L, in the casing, are sprocket-wheels e for chains fthat connect with corners of a scaffold M under the pinweights andthechains are also connected to a horizontal sliding-bar N guided insaid casing. The bar N is attached to a chain 1:, that in turn isattached to the rim of a sector 0 fast on a shaft P for which the casingis provided with bearings, and the normal osition of the sector is suchthat the scafl with the weights K by which the pins J are automaticallyset in vertical position. 'One end of the shaft P is fast in a lever inthe form of a treadle Q, that extends out at the front of the casing andis provided with a lug j for engagement with a tilt-latch is provided inthe casing, to extend outward therefrom at the front end. The lever Q,is shown engageable with a lock R when in raised position, and the lockmay be coincontrolled, but any suitable stop may be employed to limitupward throw of said lever.

The shaft P is provided with a radial arm S having a lateral lug mengaging the forked end of a crooked arm a fast on an arbor p or arocker T, one end of which rocker projects outward from the casing overa ball-receptacle G in register with a ball-return that is parallelthroughout its length with a side ofsaid casing. The other end of therocker has a depending flange g, and in one position of said rocker theflange constitutes a'ball-stop.

The apparatus, as herein shown is organized for the game often-pins, andthe movable parts of said apparatus appear in normal position. Thetreadle-lever Q, being unlocked and depressed results in a lift of thescaffold M to elevate the opposing weight K and thereby slacken theflexible connection between the pins J and said weights. During descentof the lever Q, the rocker T is automatically adjusted to obtainclearance permitting the removal, one .after another, of two balls fromthe receptacle G, and the flanged end of said rocker is swung down inthe path of a returned ball back of the two aforesaid, said lever beingheld in depressed position by the latch is aforesaid. A frame of thegame can now be rolled by a pla er, and this being done thetreadle-lever d is raised and lowered to permit an automatic reset ofthe pins J, a subsequent lift of their-weights and a release of twoballs accessible to the player. The apparatus is now in condition forthe playing of another 'frame of the game. After each frame of the gameis rolled the treadle-lever Q, is

old M is suspended out, of touch returned to normal osi'tion, againdepressedits full throw and atched, these operations being continued foreach frame of the game.

I claim:

1. A bowling-alley having the pin-stand thereof below the rollway, andpins having extensions below their apparent bases approximating thedifference in height between said rollway and stand.

2. A bowling-alley having the pin-stand and ball-pit thereof atdifferent elevations below that of the alley rollway, and pins havingextensions below their apparent bases approximating the difference inheight between said rollway and stand.

3. A game-apparatus comprising a rollway, a pin-stand and ball-pit, andwhich is provided with a rear upwardly extended hood over said pit, aswing-curtain in the hood, a bowed ball-shield of pliable materialsecured at its ends to the ball-pit and overhang of said hood in rear ofthe curtain, and straps flexibly connecting the shield intermediate ofits ends with the back of the aforesaid hood to thereby form an inclinedplane between said back and the ball-pit.

4. A for the most part covered bowling alley ball-return terminating atthe approach end of the alley in an exposed ball-receptacle, and meansfor regulating escape of returned balls to the receptacle.

5. A bowling alley comprising a for the most part covered ball-returnterminating at the approach-end of the alley in an exposedball-receptacle, a rocker having an end thereof projecting outward fromthe alleycasing over the receptacle, its other end being inwardlyflanged; and means for actuatlng the rocker to clear a ball in saidreceptacle and to bring its flanged end in position as a ball-stop insaid ball-return.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand atMilwaukee. in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin in thepresence of two witnesses.

RICHARD F. DOVVNEY.

Witnesses:

L. A. SHAKMAN, H. E. OLIPI-IANT.

